Atlanta United FC vs. Columbus Crew SC | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Ian Nicholas Quillen

Atlanta United FC vs. Columbus Crew SC
2017 MLS Regular Season
Bobby Dodd Stadium - Atlanta, Ga.
Saturday, June 17 – 7 pm ET
WATCH: MLS LIVE

If Atlanta United FC is going to reach the postseason in its expansion campaign, their success in stretches like the one that begins Saturday may be a reason why.

After beating USL affiliate Charleston Battery 3-2 at home in a midweek US Open Cup tilt, the Five Stripes face a stretch of three matches in eight days that, in isolation, should all be winnable.

Columbus Crew SC sits three spots ahead of Atlanta in the Eastern Conference table but has lost in six of eight away trips. Atlanta will follow the date with Crew SC with an away match Eastern Conference bottom dwellers D.C. United on Wednesday and another home fixture next Saturday against the Colorado Rapids, the West's last-place club.

The return to fitness of Josef Martinez, and Atlanta United's general good health overall, should help Tata Martinez navigate the stretch.

Columbus, meanwhile, have seen just how tough it can be to get the results you're supposed to get against struggling clubs, succumbing to Alan Gordon's late-winner in their last league action, a 2-1 away loss to Colorado. With only one draw all season, Greg Berhalter's group continues to run hot and cold into the summer months.

And with two matches played more than Atlanta, they make an inviting target as a team to chase down for one of the Eastern Conference's six postseason berths.

Atlanta United FC

After going on the road and dropping both of their last two MLS matches, Saturday’s return to Bobby Dodd Stadium will be a welcome one for Atlanta United.

The Five Stripes are just 3-2-0 at home this year, but have recorded wins in each of their last two matches at Bobby Dodd, handily beating Houston 4-1 on May 20 before dispatching NYCFC 3-1 on May 28. Couple those victories with Wednesday’s weather-delayed Open Cup win, and the expansion club are on a bit of a home tear heading into the weekend.

They also have Josef Martinez back. After making his long-awaited return from injury on June 10 with a substitute appearance in Atlanta’s loss at Chicago, the Venezuelan international went the full 90 and scored Atlanta’s second goal in Wednesday’s Open Cup win. He was fantastic for Atlanta early on, scoring five goals in three MLS games before getting hurt. If he can continue firing on Saturday, the expansion club will have a great shot at winning their third in a row at Bobby Dodd.

Suspended: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: QUESTIONABLE: F Jacob Peterson (right lower leg injury)

Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1, left to right): Alec Kann – Greg Garza, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Michael Parkhurst, Tyrone Mears — Carlos Carmona, Jeff Larentowicz — Yamil Asad, Miguel Almiron, Hector "Tito" Villalba — Josef Martinez

Notes: -Atlanta has played the fewest home games in the league this year, only taking the field five times at Bobby Dodd Stadium. No other team has played fewer than seven home games ... Atlanta has scored 2.6 goals per game in those five home matches, second highest in the league.

Columbus Crew SC

Atlanta dodged a bullet in their 3-2 US Open Cup win against Charleston, but Columbus had no such luck. Crew SC lost 1-0 at USL club FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, struggling to finish their chances in front of a raucous crowd of 30,000 at Nippert Stadium. Things took a bit of an ugly turn after the match, when a Crew SC supporter got into a shouting match with head coach Gregg Berhalter. Hell is real, indeed.

Things certainly won’t get any easier on Saturday. Crew SC have had a rough go of it on the road this year, posting a 2-6-0 record away from MAPFRE Stadium. That includes losses in their last three road contests, a span in which they’ve been outscored 9-2.

The main thing they’ll look to correct on Saturday is the attack. Berhalter admitted that Columbus had “slow ball movement” and “wasted opportunities” at Cincinnati, two things they won’t be able to afford at Atlanta.

“It’s a matter of being patient and seizing opportunities,” said midfielder Wil Trapp. “We were inches away at moments, but ball circulation and playing the right speed is where we lacked. We had spurts of this, but not continuous.”

Suspended: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT – D Gaston Sauro (left PCL surgery, out for season READ), FW Ben Swanson (right ankle surgery, out for season); QUESTIONABLE: M Kekuta Manneh (right foot sprain)

Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1, left to right): Zack Steffen – Waylon Francis, Nicolai Naess, Alex Crognale, Harrison Afful – Artur, Wil Trapp, – Justin Meram, Federico Higuain, Ethan Finlay – Ola Kamara

Notes: Crew SC winger Justin Meram has completed a league-best 40 dribbles this season. He's attempted 96 dribbles this year, 20 more attempted dribbles than any other player in the league.